GAO says mobile malware attacks have tripled in less than a year

Government auditors said agencies were not doing enough to sound the alarm nationwide about taking security precautions when using mobile devices.

The Government Accountability Office said reports of malware targeting mobile devices have nearly tripled in less than a year — from 14,000 to 40,000. Overall, that’s a 185 percent increase.

It called on the Federal Communications Commission to pressure manufacturers and wireless carriers to set standards for mobile security. It also said the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology need to set performance metrics to measure their public awareness efforts.

The agencies agreed with the recommendations.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.

Francis Rose is the host of In Depth, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m. on 1500 AM in the Washington, DC metro area and online everywhere. Francis has covered all three branches of the federal government as a broadcast journalist since 1998. He joined Federal News Radio in 2006, and launched In Depth in 2008 as a daily show focused on connecting federal executives to the information they need to do their jobs better.